1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method of forming an inorganic alignment film, an inorganic alignment film, a substrate for an electronic device, a liquid crystal panel, and an electronic apparatus.
2. Background Art
A projection display device in which an image is projected on a screen is known. In the projection display device, a liquid crystal panel is mainly used to form an image.
Normally, such a liquid crystal panel has an alignment film which is set to have a predetermined pretilt angle, thereby aligning liquid crystal molecules in a desired direction. In manufacturing the alignment film, a method of rubbing a thin film made of a polymer compound such as polyimide, which is formed on a substrate, in a certain direction by using a cloth such as rayon is known (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-161133 (Claims)).
However, the alignment film made of a polymer compound such as polyimide commonly causes optical deterioration according to the environment and duration of use. When optical deterioration occurs, materials constituting the alignment film, the liquid crystal layer, and so on decompose, which adversely affects the performance of the liquid crystal or the like. Further, static electricity or dust particles are generated by the rubbing process, which may result in lowering the reliability of the display devices.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an inorganic alignment film having excellent light resistance and capable of controlling a pretilt angle more effectively, a substrate for an electronic device having the inorganic alignment film, a liquid crystal panel, and an electronic apparatus. Further, it is another object of the present invention to provide a method of forming the inorganic alignment film.